Tuesday, October 21, 2025

The Digital Press

All the Bits Fit to Print

Ruby Web Development Artificial Intelligence Urban Planning Astronomy

AI Can't Fix Software Engineering's People and Culture Issues

Challenges of AI in software engineering extend beyond technical solutions

From Hacker News Original Article Hacker News Discussion

The article argues that AI tools cannot fundamentally solve software engineering challenges because these problems are rooted in people management and organizational structures, not just code.

Why it matters: Software engineering issues stem from team dynamics and incentives, which AI cannot fix by optimizing code alone.

The stakes: AI productivity tools struggle to prove their value financially, limiting adoption especially during cost-cutting downturns.

The business model mismatch: AI4SE startups sell to expert engineers who often challenge solutions, making scalable business difficult.

Commenters say: Readers note the importance of socio-technical factors in engineering and agree AI helps individuals but can’t replace management or culture change.